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@Dave Olson posted:

I'm gonna do another Demos w/ Dave episode this coming Monday. Thinking of reviewing some recent diesels. If you guys would be interested, I can go over the TrainMaster. I think I'll touch on the E8s and ES44 as well.

Dave that would be great.  I would even like to see and hear the Halloween LC+2.0 Berk.  It might be a nice, smaller engine to use at Halloween.

It certainly doesn't hurt to show recent releases to get folks into the hobby shops to buy them.

Last edited by MartyE
@PH1975 posted:

WinstonB - As has been discussed earlier in this thread, is this FM equipped with a MARS light and, if so, have you figured out how to activate it yet? Just wondering.

In the extended lighting menu (push and hold AUX 2) there are MARS Light On/ Off buttons. I would assume that would do the trick only if equipped.

Mars Light

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Last edited by MartyE

I picked the Pennsylvania version from Grzyboski’s this morning... nice looking engine, but I’ll have to be careful of the very delicate railings and antenna!!! Interestingly, it looks like the Pennsy ran the Trainmasters long hood forward (my CC II demonstrators were marked for short hood forward). I’ll do a short video of it running when I get some time tomorrow. Here is another short video of the horn/bell options (I chose to mute the other engine sounds) - definitely an interesting feature!!!

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@Apples55 posted:

I picked the Pennsylvania version from Grzyboski’s this morning... nice looking engine, but I’ll have to be careful of the very delicate railings and antenna!!! Interestingly, it looks like the Pennsy ran the Trainmasters long hood forward (my CC II demonstrators were marked for short hood forward). I’ll do a short video of it running when I get some time tomorrow. Here is another short video of the horn/bell options (I chose to mute the other engine sounds) - definitely an interesting feature!!!

A beauty and a Beast !

Just got the Pennsy version.  I noticed that when I turn on Rule 17, if affects the headlight on the short hood only.  Since the Pennsy is setup to run long hood forward, the Rule 17 is affecting its rear headlight.  Would it not have made sense to have Rule 17 affect both headlights?  Does anyone else who has the Pennsy version see the same thing?

Another thing I noticed is that the numbers underneath the cab window, and the word Pennsylvania are done in yellow paint.  When I compare it to the TMCC Pennsy FM from the TCA 50th anniversary set, that lettering was done in gold paint.  I liked the gold paint better.  Shouldn't it have been done in gold?  All my Lionel TMCC PRR engines have their lettering done in gold.

Other than these two small issues, the engine is really nice and super detailed.  It is a great addition to my fleet.  I like the various cab chatter and the emergency stop sequences.  Nice touch!

Last edited by Joe Fermani

My METCA EL version arrived today.  Clean, crisp paint, and really smooth running make this a good value. The slow speed operation is very good. Ran well on 0-45 Atlas curves. The horn quilling is the best I've heard. The soft half tones are good when working the yard; poor conductor is half deaf already. This engine will join my Atlas C424s in the same early  EL freight livery. Thanks for making this available to us.

So METCA, what's next in EL freight paint?  An F3 or 7 AB  or AA unit?  FA's?

Earl

A couple of notes:    First on the rear markers red, on an engine running light (no cars or caboose) which is defined as a train in the PRR and other rule books, a red marker must be shown to the rear.   

Second, by the time freight diesels were very common, ie when the trainmasters were delivered, all the lettering was "buff" which is basically a yellow.    Gold was used a little on the early passenger diesels but I think that practice ended fairly quickly and by the 50s even the passenger steamers were getting buff lettering.

Finally al  first generation pennsy diesels with the exception of the RSD 7 and RSD 15, were set up as long hood forward.     Second generation started with the low nose alcos, GEs, and EMDs such as the GP30.

Here are a few pics of the new Wabash FM. Sounds and runs great. Smokes very well.

CDDF2C03-125A-4C07-91EE-2440B4B02E189C913EE1-48A9-41A3-8C35-3F7A30804B61

My only complaint is one that has become far too common: either the gray on my nine other Legacy Wabash diesels is way too dark or the gray on the FM is way too light. I snapped a shot of it next to a Legacy Wabash geep (see below). The two grays aren’t even close. This stuff drives me nuts.  I just wish these color inconsistencies from release to release could be fixed. Admittedly, I’ve never built model train locomotives for a living, but it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard to make colors match from release to release (or even just be close), yet it’s gone on for three or four years now.

3186308A-BCD8-4771-B6A2-590CC89835B5

Otherwise, this is a very nice Legacy diesel.

Thanks to all who posted on how to get the switch cover off.  It made setup a breeze.  

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It's been a gradual lightening.   This is the Legacy 6-28307 model from 2009, it seems to split the difference between the dark gray and the current light gray.  Maybe they're just mixing white in with the gray to stretch the paint supply.

Lionel Legacy Wabash Trainmaster #550

I believe my Wabash Legacy geeps, F-units, and Sd70ACEs were all produced after your FM, so I don’t think they’ve been gradually lightening them.  Having said that, I would definitely take your 11-year old version over my 11-day-old version!  Having a paint scheme that matches my existing fleet is more important to me than Bluetooth or ten different whistles and horns to choose from.....

Thanks for the pic, John.

Well, it runs 100% and isn't beat up.  I'd have to look it over in detail to see if there are any minor imperfections.  I'm not quite as picky about the colors, so the whizzbang features would be cool to have.

Note that the next York could be a long time off.

100% agree, we’ll trade in April or October, but we’ll figure it out. I’m pulling for April!

Last edited by Rider Sandman

Santa just gifted me with the DL&W #854 version.  This is my first new engine in over 60 years, and it brings back some of the thrills I experienced with my first Lionel set.

Plus, I’m old enough to remember a pair of the real thing rolling by my home in Hackettstown NJ, pulling an evening commuter train westward.  Cab rearward, with those radiator fans slowly turning.  Fond memories.

Happier New Year to everyone in 2021!

PS> Thanks to John and others who verified previously that the fans on these Lionels don't spin.

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